Virtual universes or virtual worlds are computer-based simulated environments intended for its residents to inhabit and interact via avatars, which are personas or representations of the residents of the virtual universes and generally take the form of two-dimensional or three-dimensional human or fantastical representations of a person's self. These types of virtual universes are now most common in massive multiplayer on-line games, such as Second Life which is a trademark of Linden Research in the United States, other countries or both. Avatars in these types of virtual universes, which can number well over a million, have a wide range of business and social experiences.
Because many of these virtual universes have many activities and places to visit, residents are spending a great deal of time in these universes and many are finding that they are losing touch with the real-world. Currently, there are no approaches that enable residents to receive notifications of real-world events while on-line in the virtual universes.